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Folks in North Alabama have Jim Parker’s Songwriters Series in Huntsville, where there are regular opportunities to see some of the best songwriters in the business!! Shows take place at Von Braun Center Playhouse. The next show in the series is Friday, February 3rd, beginning at 6:30pm with John Ford Coley, Roxie Dean, Byron Hill and special guest Don McNatt.

Visit Jim’s website at www.JimParkerMusic.com, and join his email list to get updates on future shows and what’s happening in his world. On his site you’ll also find links to past shows and lots more!!

Hang on… let me check. Yes, The Acoustic Cafe is listed on the “Festivals” page of MusicSceneAL.com. The list is in alphabetical order. However, if I were to list them in order of preference, in my book, The Acoustic Cafe should be at the TOP of the list!

To be fair, I have not attended all the festivals on the list, and comparing the festivals is sort of like comparing apples to oranges. For example, The Opp Rattlesnake Rodeo has music, but catching rattlesnakes is NOT the main attraction at The Acoustic Cafe.

The Acoustic Cafe started back in 1996. In the early years, there were two shows each year… one in the Spring and another in the Fall. The past few years have had one show each year on Memorial Day Weekend. Well, yes, there was a second show in the Fall of 2010. I guess we’ll all have to keep an eye on the website to see if there will be a second show this year as well. But maybe that’s getting the cart before the horse.

This year’s Memorial Day Weekend show will include Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Trishas, Dread Clampitt and lot’s more. Check the page for a full list of fabulous artists on this year’s lineup. While you’re at it, check out everything about the festival. Those of you who have been in the past already know why I would list them at the TOP of the list. If you’ve never attended, you are in for a wonderful experience!

There are numerous sources for information about music events in Alabama. Yes, MusicSceneAL.com is working to build an awareness, and we are hoping to become a primary source for you. And we ask that you please tell your friends about us. But at the same time, let’s face it: Nobody can cover all the bases all the time, including us!

It’s not about competition. I think it’s safe to say that most other information providers are trying to do the same thing we are trying to do. That is to promote music, artists, venues and festivals, in our case all across the state of Alabama. Yes, we have to pay the rent, but that’s not what we are thinking about in our strategy sessions. Goal number one is to help the people involved in music.

So you may have noticed that the title indicates that this article is about Birmingham Free Press – Music. I can try to explain what they are trying to accomplish, but the best way for you to understand that is to visit them at www.facebook.com/freepressmusic. Visit them often. And visit MusicSceneAL.com and other sites. But most importantly, visit the music venues and festivals. And support local Alabama music artists.

It’s a new year, and that means a fresh, new start. So here’s the deal with MuscicSceneAL: Starting today, we’ll update weekly with a story, an interview, or maybe a few paragraphs about something music related in Alabama. We might tell you about a really cool venue or an upcoming concert or festival. Maybe introduce you to an artist or band. Or it could be information about a new CD, or maybe some other music related product.

Got ideas? We want your input. Please share your thoughts and ideas. For a start, we’d like for you to take a look at the other pages on this site. Go over each page with a fine tooth comb, and if you see that some band, venue, festival or whatever is missing, please let us know so we can add them to the list. While you’re looking, you might just come across something interesting that you didn’t know about or maybe had not thought about in awhile.

So welcome aboard. Our hope is to provide information that will help to keep you informed about and entertained by the wonderful musical talent found in Alabama. And hopefully you’ll tell your friends!